Unreachable
by Nemisor
Summary: A lost boy, Yugi wounds up in Ryou's doorstep. Ryou promises to help him find his way back home. Days pass, and when it's finally time to Yugi to go home, can Ryou let him go? Heartshipping.


_A/N: *sigh* Not really happy with this. *scratches head* It goes too fast... But I guess I can't help it. ^^ This is AU and fantasy, because I love fantasy-stories._

_Well enjoy!

* * *

_**Unreachable**

This is Universe.

These are the stars. Millions of small lanterns lighting up the sky.

This is a planet. Earth. Full of life. Living people, humans. To them stars are something so distant, unreachable. Lights, just lights.

There is a boy. He gazes to the sky, but he finds there nothing that could comfort him. He is lost. He looks around himself, like he has never seen trees before. Out in the distance he sees small light. There's something so comfortable about it.

He starts running. Running to the light.

He is lost.

And more than anything he wants to get back home.

* * *

_Voices, frantic voices._

"_Where is he?!"_

"_Have you seen him?!"_

"_He was around here just a moment ago!"_

_Voices, panicking voices._

"_He is lost!"_

"_We must inform mother! We must wake mother up!"_

"_Where is he?!"_

_Voices, just voices.

* * *

_

Ryou yawned. He had almost fallen asleep. He shouldn't let that happen.

Damn that Malik, Ryou thought. Only Malik could go to sleep and leave Ryou in charge of the potion. Such an awesome, sweet friend he was. Always using the position of elder wizard. Malik was only two years older than Ryou. But he was more experienced, Ryou couldn't deny it.

Ryou knew that he would need to learn a lot of stuff before he would be as powerful as Malik.

Ryou was a wizard, not very powerful one, but still one. He had long white hair and brown eyes. He was specialized in healing, and that's why he wore white and blue robes. His best friend, colleague, worst nightmare and the man whom he shared a house with, Malik, seemed change his specialization the moment he grew bored to the task given to him. Right know, he was a spirit mage.

The slight snoring from the other room told to the white-haired wizard that Malik was fast asleep.

Ryou turned up the heat of the small fire under the small pot, making sure the liquid inside was still running, and turned another page from the book he was reading.

It must have been way over midnight, Ryou thought. It was becoming harder and harder to keep eyes open.

Only few candles lit up the room.

Ryou's head banged against the table. His eyes shot open. And slowly, slowly they started to close again when...

_Knock, knock._

Someone knocked on the door.

It was nothing unusual, when you were a wizard specialized to healing. Ryou jumped from his chair, now wide awake and rushed to the door.

On the door step stood probably the weirdest boy Ryou had ever seen and that's saying something, after all he had grown up with wizards.

The boy's hair was tri-colored and spiky and eyes crimson. The boy was reeking a strong sense of magic, like he was almost made out of it, Ryou could sense it.

And the boy was glowing.

Ryou took a step backwards and in his mind prepared himself for casting spells. Every wizard was careful around magical creatures. It was natural. It had to be natural, if you wanted to survive.

Sure the boy didn't look very threating, but Ryou tried not to be fooled by it.

The boy just stared at Ryou. He looked a little embarrassed and he still hadn't spoken a word.

And slowly , because the boy didn't seem to do anything besides glowing, Ryou started lowering his defenses. He wanted to know what was wrong with the boy. He had to say something. But 'What are you?' sounded so rude question to ask. Ryou cleared his throat and asked:

"How can I help you?"

The boy blinked. It was like he hadn't really expected Ryou to talk.

"Umm.. I think, I might be lost," the boy murmured.

Ryou immediately felt sorry for him, it was his nature.

"Come in," he said and stepped aside so the boy could enter.

The boy nodded and his face lighted up with a thankful smile. Ryou found himself liking that smile.

"Take a seat," he ordered softly, closing the door and walking to the boy.

"I am Ryou," the white-haired wizard introduced himself. "I am a wizard."

The boy looked dumbfounded.

"You do know what wizards are, don't you?" Ryou asked.

The boy frowned.

"Wizards," he murmured. "Yes, wizards, yes. I've heard of them. They sometimes call us."

"Oh?" Ryou raised his eyebrows, but didn't question more. "Well I can try to help you. Can you tell me your name?"

"I'm Yugi," the glowing boy said.

Ryou smiled.

"Okay, Yugi, Can you tell me where you live?"

But Yugi shook his head.

"You aren't sure?" Ryou guessed. "Well can you tell me what happened, before you noticed you were lost?"

"I was playing with my brothers and sisters," Yugi told. "Mother was sleeping, so no one was guarding us. Yami, my big brother, was teasing me and we accidentally wandered away from the others. We shouldn't have done that." Yugi shook his head. "We really shouldn't. At some point we both noticed how far away from home we were. Yami said we should head back to others and I agreed. But just when we were returning home I tripped over something and I fell. I don't know how long I fell. It could have been forever, it could have been just few seconds. But when I woke up I was here, all alone. I tried to call for Yami and the others, but no one answered to my calls. I saw the light in your window and came here. " Yugi shrugged. "So here I am."

Ryou didn't' quite believe the falling-part. Oh sure he wanted to, but there were no cliffs to fall off here. But if Yugi was magical, he probably was, his mother and brothers and sisters were probably just as magical. Yugi's home could be anywhere.

Yugi looked at Ryou, waiting.

Ryou smiled, what he thought was a comforting smile and said:

"I'm sure we can find your home. I think we have better changes of finding your mom in the morning. Do you want to sleep?" Ryou pointed to the room where Malik was still sleeping. "There's a free bed there."

Yugi stood up and started walking to the room. But just before the doorway he stopped and turned to look at Ryou.

"Are you going to come sleeping too?" he asked.

Ryou shook his head.

"I can't."

"You can't?"

Ryou pointed at the pot on his desk.

"I have to keep this running and the fire up. I can't go to sleep."

"Then I won't either," Yugi decided. And returned to his chair.

Ryou considered opposing, saying that Yugi was probably tired, but he just yawned and smiled to Yugi. The faintly glowing boy smiled back and studied Ryou's desk.

"So what is this that you're doing?" Yugi asked.

"This is medicine for my patient, an old woman."

"What does she have?"

Ryou sighed.

"Unfortunately, she has disease I cannot cure."

Yugi looked confused.

"Why do you bother making her medicine if she's dying anyway?"

"Because!" Ryou slammed his hand to the desk. Then he realized he had yelled and lowering his voice he continued: "Because that's all I can do, ease her pain. Make her last days comfortable. We are all going to die one day. There's no such thing as living forever. I just want her to go with a smile on her face, not a mask of pain."

"I'm sorry," Yugi whispered.

Ryou raised his eyebrows. It sounded like Yugi was sorry to hear that everyone was going to die. But surely the boy faced death before. He had to. Ryou smiled, reached out and patted Yugi on shoulder.

"Don't be." He chuckled. "Malik always says that I'm too caring, to compassionate. I always end up getting hurt, he says. Because I care."

"Malik?" Yugi asked.

"My friend," Ryou explained. "You'll meet him tomorrow..." Ryou yawned. "He might seem a bit arrogant and rude at first." Another yawn. "But don't worry about him." Ryou chuckled. "He's just a little weird."

Yugi chuckled too. Ryou's eyes slipped close and he slumped to his desk, falling asleep.

Yugi jumped up and walked to Ryou. For a moment the boy thought of waking Ryou up. But the wizard looked so peaceful. Yugi smiled at the sight and whispered:

"Sleep well."

* * *

Ryou opened his eyes. The sunlight coming through the window blinded him for a second.

Then panic hit him.

He had fallen asleep!

If the medicine was ruined... No, he could not even think that. Ryou spun around in his chair. He blinked. The medicine. It was still running, the fire was still on.

"Did you sleep well?" asked a voice behind him.

Ryou jumped up in surprise.  
"Yugi!" he exclaimed. "Do not ever scare me like that!"

Yugi tilted his head, trying to look innocent. Ryou ran his fingers through his hair. Yugi's glowing was now hardly noticeable, because it disappeared under the light of the sun.

"Yugi, have you slept at all?" Ryou asked.

Yugi shook his head and opened his mouth to explain:

"I...."

"Good morning!"

"Good morning, Malik," Ryou answered, not even bothering to turn to look at his friend.

Malik straightened his robes and smiled to Ryou's back, before his violet eyes locked on Yugi. Malik was tall tanned man with long blond hair. He liked to wear black and purple robes, and he carried a golden staff with him.

"Who is this?" he asked, pointing at Yugi.

"A client," Ryou answered. "His name is Yugi. I promised to help him find his way back home."

Malik eyed Yugi suspiciously. Ryou turned around and looked at Malik.

"I need your help with this," Ryou whispered, so Yugi couldn't hear them.

"You do realize he's magical, right?" Malik asked. "What is he?"

Ryou shook his head.

"I don't know. Are there any magical creatures living near here?"

Malik scratched his nose.

"Well there's an earth spirit living near, and a community of fairies in the forest and few trolls in the hills," Malik glanced at Yugi. "But he's hardly any of those. No spirit, no troll, no fairy."

"Malik can you go to them? I know how well you do with the fairies. Ask if they know anything Ask if they remember Yugi."

"Well with a hair like his, they should remember him."

"Malik!"

"Just teasing, just teasing," Malik assured, chuckling. "I can do it."

"Thanks," Ryou smiled. " I would go myself, but I have clients.. Yugi!"

The boy's head darted up to the direction of two wizards.

"Malik will go out and try to find your home. Do you want to go with him?"

Yugi stared at Malik. Malik raised his eyebrows to the boy, challenging him to say something.

"What about you?" Yugi asked, eyes never leaving Malik.

"Me?" Ryou asked. "I have clients. I'll stay here."

"I will stay here with you," Yugi decided, smiling to Malik.

Malik shrugged.

"Whatever. I'll go now."

And with that the blond wizard walked out of of the door.

Ryou turned to Yugi.

"Well since you're staying here, I guess you can help me with patients. Come, we have a long day ahead of us."

* * *

Ryou's first patient was a girl with a broken leg. Yugi followed closely as Ryou checked the girl. Talking about nothing important Ryou managed to calm the girl down so he could fix the leg.

The girl was followed by a man with back problems.

"Don't you have any free time?" Yugi asked, when the man left.

Ryou shook his head.

"I have three town's people to take of. But this is what I want to do."

The whole day was busy, with really short breaks or no breaks at all between the patients. Ryou seemed cheerful, handing out medicines and treating wound. It was his passion to help people.

He even let Yugi treat few minor wounds, and laughed when Yugi seemed disgusted of blood. Nothing bonds people together quite better than helping others.

Malik came home long after sunset.

He had visited trolls' lair. They knew nothing about spiky-haired boy.

He had visited fairies' forest. They had never seen a boy with tri-colored hair and crimson eyes.

He even had dared to call the Earth spirit. It had never heard name Yugi before.

Malik just had to try harder tomorrow, right? And Yugi just had to stay one day more.

And one day more

And one day more.

And one day more.

A week passed.

Ryou continued treating his patients normally. Yugi continued helping him. And Malik continued trying to find Yugi's family, with little success.

Ryou didn't mind. In fact he didn't mind it at all. He liked Yugi, he really did. And he enjoyed spending time with the glowing boy.

So when Malik came to him one morning with good news, Ryou couldn't help but feel a little concerned.

"This clue can really lead somewhere," Malik announced. "We can finally get rid of Yugi."

"Really?" Ryou asked. He sounded much less cheerful about it than Malik. Malik grinned.

"Yup! Yugi can finally get back home!"

Ryou glanced at Yugi. The boy was sitting in front of Ryou's desk, gazing out of the window with dreamy look on his face. Ryou bit his lip. Yugi would get back home. Yugi would go back home.

"Wouldn't you let him go?" Malik asked, reading Ryou's thoughts. "Or could you really be so selfish?"

Ryou didn't know. He wasn't selfish person, normally, but mere thought of Yugi leaving made him feel miserable. Ryou didn't want to Yugi to go away. But if that's what Yugi wanted.

"I don't know," Ryou whispered.

Malik shrugged and patted Ryou on the shoulder, because there was nothing he could say. Ryou watched how Malik left, with a strange lump stuck in his throat, and invisible tears bickering in his eyes.

* * *

"I know what he is."

Ryou raised his gaze from the book he was reading and turned to look at Malik in the doorway.

"Well?"

Malik walked to Ryou.

"He's a star. Yugi's a star. He had fallen down from the skies," Malik explained. "The other stars are his brothers and sisters. Moon is his mother. That's why he couldn't return to home immediately. Moon was asleep."

Ryou stared at Yugi.

"Are you?"

"A star?" Yugi asked. "Is that what you call us?"

Malik nodded.

"I can show you a way home," he said.

The blond wizard walked to the door and slammed it open. The moon gazed down on them from the sky. As soon as the light hit Yugi, his eyes widened. He stared at the moon, tilting his head and whispered something to the cool air. He moved out of the door and started running, eyes still fixed to the moon.

"Come!" Malik said, grabbed Ryou's hand and started pulling him out of the door and after Yugi.

Yugi stood on top of a small hill, and gazed at the moon. His mouth was little open, and the glowing was stronger than ever.

"He's going home," Malik whispered finally.

As soon as the words escaped Malik's mouth Yugi started floating. It was like some invisible hands had grabbed the boy, and now were lifting him up, to the skies. Suddenly Ryou let go of Malik's hand he had been holding and ran to Yugi. He wrapped his hands around Yugi's waist and pulled the boy down. Yugi's eyes finally leaving the moon, were turned to Ryou, confused.

Yugi tried to open his mouth to oppose, but Ryou shut him up by capturing his lips into a passionate kiss. Yugi's eyes widened in surprise. Ryou closed his eyes, enjoying the kiss.

But the invisible hands pulled Yugi up, tore him away. Ryou was left alone in the ground. He tried to blink the tears away from his eyes as Yugi disappeared out of sight.

"I've heard that stars can grant wishes, " Malik said, walking to Ryou.

"I wish he had stayed with me," Ryou whispered.

Malik wrapped his arms around boy's shoulders. Ryou gazed at the night sky, lit up by millions of stars. And one of them was Yugi.

Ryou sighed.

"I think this is how it's supposed to end. I'm here, where I belong and he's there, where he belongs."

Malik started leading Ryou back to their home, arms still on his shoulders.

"But you can always wish," Malik tried to comfort the boy.

Ryou smiled faintly.

"Yes, that I can do. I can wish that maybe, maybe some day we'll meet again."

* * *

"_You're back!"_

"_We were so worried!"_

_Voices. Voices of his sisters and brothers. Yugi forced a smile to his face. They were his family. And with his family he belonged. He was home. Yami, his big brother put his hands on Yugi's shoulder and asked:_

"_Are you okay?"_

"_Yeah."_

_Yugi glanced over his shoulder. There was Earth. There was Ryou._

_Maybe someday, Yugi would be there too. _

_Maybe someday, Yugi would get back to Ryou._

_Maybe someday.

* * *

_

This is universe.

These are stars. Lights, just lights. To humans stars are something unreachable.

This is Earth. To stars humans are something unreachable.

Stars and humans aren't meant to be together.

But...

We can hope...

We can always hope...

That maybe someday.


End file.
